In one of the letters Marcel mailed from Berlin, he mentioned having to show his papers to the German police. My guess is that he showed them his arbeitskarte (worker card) which likely included his photo and listed basic biographic information. The arbeitskarte might have also been inked with his fingerprints.READ MORE
I received a shipment of eight books from the publisher. All but one of those books will be mailed to members of the Heuzé family in France.
Since everything about publishing is new to me, I had to research how to sign a book. READ MORE
Starred Review
Issue: May 15, 2017
Although Porter found the letters, perhaps they also found her. READ MORE
Germany
May 1, 1945
No. 144
My darling wife,
I have just finished a long letter to Mother and it has been overdue.READ MORE
I was rooting around some old papers, looking for something else entirely, and found this gem of a writing sample from third grade.
Marcel’s Letters deftly portrays how a curiosity can grow into a search, and the search into an obsession. Carolyn’s story bursts with the excitement of discovery and culminates with the indescribable honor of returning fragments of a forgotten history to the people they were meant for.
– Glenn Kurtz, author of Three Minutes in Poland: Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Family Film
Between now and May 9 you can sign up to win one of ten free copies of Marcel’s Letters!
Go to the book’s page on Goodreads, scroll down to “Enter Giveaway” and follow the prompts. Good luck!
Thanks to Skyhorse Publishers for sponsoring this giveaway!
Marcel’s Letters is a gripping page-turner about one type designer’s efforts to uncover (and recover) the destiny of a French forced laborer during World War II.
– Yves Peters, type writer and producer for Type Network
Fascinated by the handwriting, Carolyn Porter’s chance purchase of a few letters led her to a remarkable adventure in font design, research to understand the wartime separation of a father from his wife and children, and a quest to uncover Marcel’s fate in the Second World War and that of his family. Marcel's Letters tells a compelling story of romance, perseverance, and discovery.
– Professor Kenneth Mouré, historian of modern France, University of Alberta
Vienna April 4, 1944
My very dear parents,
I come for a moment to give you some news from me which are very good for now. I am still in good health. I hope it is the same for you.
READ MORE
Recently I was interviewed by book development editor Jill Swenson. It was a delightful interview with questions about music and typography and legal issues. You can check it out here.
The book cover has been finalized! I’m delighted with the final product and am grateful for the work of the cover designer, Erin. I’ve heard people remark they like it; that it has “shelf-appeal.” What people may or may not understand by quickly glancing at the cover, though, is that it has specific design elements that work hard to tell its story.READ MORE